Finally got a real anvil

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Knifemaker
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Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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Oct 19, 2005
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Well many of you have listened to me complain of my anvil woes.

Well yesterday my hundredth e-mail produced a winner. The guy responds, hey, there is a place right around the corner from you that has new stock. :rolleyes:

So today I bought this: http://www.nctoolco.com/anvil.php

Its hardened steel, brand new, and NO SHIPPING to double the price!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hurray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now I can keep my great-grandads anvil for sentimental value and leather work. And not destroy it by hammering steel on it. (Its cast iron.)

:yawn: Now I'm tired.


Edited to add. If you're in Atlanta, you can buy new anvils from G&H Horseshoe Sales in Marietta. Great folks too.
 
Sweet! Anvil and forge on my list. I've got a 15 pounder I got from Northern Tools, but would like a larger one.
Terry
 
tedwca said:
Congrats.

On another note did you ever get my PayPal??
Click to expand...

Yes. I replied to your e-mail, I thought. But then, I'm a dumb S*B sometimes....

Sorry Ted. Yes I got it.



Northern tools got mad at me yesterday for hammering on their anvils. "Sorry, I had to know if it was cast," I said. All cast. Thats what was so hard about finding an anvil. Finding a steel one.
 
I'm confused Andy; your NC anvil states; made from quality castings.


munk
 
munk said:
I'm confused Andy; your NC anvil states; made from quality castings.


munk
Click to expand...

Now I'm confused. Its cast, I can see the ground off line? Why wouldn't it be?
 
aproy1101 said:
Northern tools got mad at me yesterday for hammering on their anvils. "Sorry, I had to know if it was cast," I said. All cast. Thats what was so hard about finding an anvil. Finding a steel one.
Click to expand...

Perhaps this is what caused the confusion. From this statement I assumed you meant you did NOT want a cast anvil, yet that is exactly what you ended up with and seem very happy with.:confused:
 
Ok. I've had a few brews so bare with me:o I think what he wants to say is that he doesn't want a CAST IRON anvil, as opposed to a cast steel anvil. Cast (iron not steel) equals dents and cracks and no rebound, cast steel properly heat treated equals tough hard face with good rebound of the hammer.

All anvils made today are made by casting (some are low carbon, some are medium carbon, some are impact resistant tool steel, some are medium alloy steels such as 4140, some anvil shaped objects are cast iron poop) EXCEPT for Peddinghaus anvils from Germany (which are forged).

Make sure any heavy hammering that you do is over the center mass of that anvil. It is a shoeing anvil and "svelt" out at the ends.

Have fun with your new toy,
Stevo

Note: Edits in parenthesis
 
Thanks Stevo. Yes. Cast Iron is what I've been trying to avoid. My great grandfathers anvil is just such. When you hit it it makes a thud, and leaves a dent. I'll use it for leatherwork, and be proud, and use this new little guy for knifemaking.
 
That's really nice Andy! :thumbup: I like the upwards curved horn on that one very much. I have a cheaper 50 lb. anvil that I use for smaller stuff, and when my father in law passed away 2 years ago he left me an older 110 lb. steel anvil. It was badly rusted on the sides, after years in the sea air, and I ground it all out and repainted the sides with Benjamin-Moore black epoxy paint.

I bought one of those universal tool stands from Sears, and then built a laminated plywood top for it and set the anvil in there. I then put the stand on one of those tool stand caster setups that rolls or locks in place so I can move it anywhere in the shop. Nice thing about that is I can rack sledgehammers on the side and the wood absorbs vibration. Each section of wood is lined with a sheet of small bubble wrap and then the whole thing screwed together.

I left 1/8" of play on the footprint of the anvil in the wood, and have an oak shim that I hammer in there to lock it in place. If I ever want to take the anvil out of the stand I just tap out the shim.

Can't believe how much I use it. A good anvil is well worth the price. I've often wondered what kind of anvil some of the famous knifemakers use.

Norm
 
Nice. Y'know, I've got to get a break from my kids. Nowadays, when I think of an anvil, I a Road Runner cartoon with one tied around Coyote's ankle, pulling him down a canyon.
 
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